Frybaby
Have I mentioned before how absurdly awesome it is just how many gluten free fried chicken options we have here in Portland? And just when I think I’ve discovered them all, I find Frybaby!
Frybaby just moved from a previous location into the Heist food cart pod in the Woodstock neighborhood, not too far from another gluten free favorite, Portland Fish Market. They serve up Korean style fried chicken (gluten free!) and numerous gluten free sides.
I got hooked on Korean food when I first moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and was a stone’s throw away from so much delicious food in Koreatown. Korean BBQ is what honestly destroyed about 6 years of mostly vegetarian eating for me. The flavors are incredible and kimchi is one of my favorite snacks of all time. Not too far behind that is Korean fried chicken!
The fried chicken at Frybaby is fire! Double fried and extra crispy! I love spicy, so I had to try the spicy gochujang sauce, but also absolutely could not pass up the “snow cheese” which is both sweet and savory. Pro tip, just order the snow cheese chicken and add a side of the spicy gochujang sauce for dipping! And add the “Korean Sparkle” if you’re feeling extra adventurous!
The snow cheese is like crack. Think of that oddly satisfying texture of the old school canned, powdered parmesan, with a milder cheese flavor, blended with some slightly crunchy sugar crystals. This powdered goodness melts in your mouth with every bite! It also makes an unbelievable mess, so be sure to eat over your box and grab plenty of napkins.
Frybaby earns the “gluten free friendly” classification as the menu is almost entirely gluten free and very well marked. At present time, the only things on the menu containing gluten are their soy garlic sauce, buns for chicken sandwiches and the kimchi mac and cheese. They do sell their kimchi a la carte (so gluten free!), but unfortunately for me it contains carrots, which I’m allergic too. It smells amazing and absolutely authentic though!
